NA Speaker Stresses Upon Tolerance For Politics Of Peace

Raja Pervez Ashraf says they should not abuse each other and level uncalled for allegations.

LAHORE: (UrduPoint/ UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-May 28th, 2022) Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has said that the society needs tolerance to promote politics of peace in Pakistan. Everyone has a right to do politics but it should for the sake of the country. The country needs tolerance more than economic stability. We should respect each other while maintaining our political differences. We should not abuse each other and level uncalled for allegations.

He was speaking to a conference organized by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Central Punjab on the 18th amendment to the Constitution at Alhamra Hall on Saturday. Secretary General PPP Parliamentarian, Farhatullah Babar and Special Assistant Prime Minister Fahd Hussain, leading lawyer Abid Saqi, Ameer Haider Hoti from ANP, besides the provincial leadership of PPP, also spoke on the occasion. A good number of PPP workers, lawyers and women attended the conference.

He said Constitution brings humanity out of the rule of jungle to the rule of law. In 1973, a great leader Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto introduced the constitution after hard work. At that time, he had absolute majority in the house. His opposition was very thin but since he was a statesman, therefore, he evolved national consensus on the Constitution of 1973. There was no such consensus on such a noble document prior to it, he added.

He termed it a major achievement of Z. A. Bhutto for giving constitution to the country. He had deep understanding of the need of the constitution for a country. He brought unity to the nation and strengthened the Federal government by making it bicameral from unicameral system.

According to him, a dictator had ruined the constitution by making uncalled for amendments to it and depriving the Parliament of its powers. He used all the tactics to distort the constitution but he could not remove it altogether. Ridiculous amendments were made to the constitution and the purpose was to make a mockery of it.

He said the Parliament is mother of all the institutions and it has all the powers under the constitution of 1973. However, dictators tried to usurp its power and got a blanket authority of making important state appointments. Provinces were also weakened by them, he added.

Raja said Benazir Bhutto turned up with a slogan of reinstating the constitution of 1973 in its actual shape.

However, she could not survive to see her dream come true, followed by the marvelous initiative of Asif Zardari, who wasted no time to reinstate the constitution in its original shape soon he got the opportunity after becoming president of Pakistan.

“No one had ever asked Zardari to return the powers of the Parliament from the president house, but he did so to reinstate the constitution,” he said and added that Zardari returned all the powers to the parliament voluntarily.

According to him, all the political parties of Pakistan had once again evolved a consensus to ensure original shape of the constitution.

General Secretary PPP leader Farhatullah Babar said that in his views PTI government led by Imran Khan came in to power to roll back 18th amendment. He also said that removal of 58 2b through 18th amendment minimize the threats of unconstitutional act but unfortunately, our judiciary was used to remove elected Prime Ministers Yousaf Raza Gillani and Nawaz Sharif.

General Secretary PPP central Punjab and Parliamentary leader Syed Hassan Murtaza said that it is the time all the liberal and progressive forces should unite against the unconstitutional forces. He called for highlighting the other achievements of the party. It is the only party who delivered. He called journalists and writers the real strength of the party.

Murtaza said that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto gave the unanimous constitution in the presence of big opposition. In the same way he said former president Asif Ali Zardari gave his powers to the parliament through 18th amendment and strengthened the federation.

He said today overseas Pakistanis considered PPP as a corrupt party but they don’t know it was PPP government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who gave passport to common people.

He further said that Benazir Bhutto gave his life for strengthening the constitution and democracy in the country.

Regarding the present political situation PPP parliamentary leader said that we are sharing the burden with the PML (N) in these difficult times. He said it is PPP who took difficult decisions to strengthen the country.